If making a music career is so tough, why would you ever consider pursuing one?

It turns out that making it as a musician today, in some ways, is easier than ever before. With persistence, right decision making, and your musical talent, the possibilities are endless.

If you’re a musician, you may be wondering if you have what it takes to have a successful career. With these 10 must-know tips, you too can find success and fulfillment as a musician!

Let’s begin.

1. Start Writing

The heart of any music career is the music itself.

After all, the music is what binds the musician and the fans. And this connection, in turn, can make or break the success of the musician.

Whether writing lyrics or strumming away on the guitar, you should always be playing.

If you’re ever struggling to find inspiration, try writing a rap song. Even if you’re no rap or hip-hop artist, you can still apply this method of songwriting to your own.

2. Recruit the Best of the Best

Every member of your band also needs to pull their weight. They need to not only deliver musically, but they also need to contribute in one (or many) ways.

This can range from providing lyrics or instrumental material. This can also include providing home recording equipment or rides to gigs. They may even be more willing to do your band’s promotional work so you don’t have to!

A classic way to find musical talent is through flyer distribution. You can also scout musicians around town or find them online.

3. Invest in Quality Audio/Visual Equipment

Your performance in itself will hinge greatly on the quality of your sound.

There’s nothing more detrimental than a screeching microphone or amp. Without the right sound equipment, you can wind up turning off more fans than you win over.

You may feel tempted to buy used audio and visual equipment. But you should only use old or inexpensive equipment if the sound translates well live and in the studio.

Your equipment includes everything from your instruments to your lights and special effects. It also includes your recording equipment.

Finding an instrument and equipment distributor is a good place to start.

CMI Music and Audio, for example, is a musical equipment and instruments distributor. Their equipment and instruments are some of the best in all of Australia.

4. Know the Industry

But before you can sign with one of these major record labels, you have to start small.

The first step to doing that is knowing the type of music you play and the audience who will listen to it.

After that, you’ll need to pinpoint and attract your target listeners. These days it’s easier to distribute your music online and attract fans that way.

But you should also find the appropriate venues. These venues and concert halls not only host other musicians within your genre. They’re also frequented by producers, promoters, and other music industry players.

The challenging thing about a music career is not knowing where it will take you. But at the same time, it’s also exciting to climb up to the top.

5. Be in Control

At the beginning, you’ll struggle the most. As a result, you may feel tempted to sign a deal with the first promoter or producer you encounter.

Don’t be hasty in your decisions. You want to be in control of your sound, as well as your music career. Others may try to take some of that control away from you for monetary profit.

Book your own shows where you want to play and wherever is best for you. Write your own albums and produce them on your own accord.

As your career grows, the right manager, promoters, and producers will come along.

6. Choose Your Inner Circle Wisely

Throughout your music career, you’ll encounter many kinds of people. People who love your music and people who despise it.

When it comes to sharing your new music and ideas, keep this in mind:

You don’t want to show your music to people who will feed you with compliments.

Rather, you should share your new music and ideas with people who will be honest with you.

Your music will benefit more from brutal honesty than shallow flattery.

7. Build Connections, Don’t Burn Them

The success of your music career is also dependent on your reputation. You don’t want to burn bridges, especially with powerful people.

You don’t have to please everybody. But you don’t want to do anything that can give you a bad reputation.

For example, you don’t want to skip a show that you booked. You also wouldn’t want to talk negatively about someone else in the industry.

Every gig won’t be perfect. You may get into disagreements with venue managers. You may even come across some unpleasant or untrustworthy promoters and producers. You may even cross paths with other bands that you won’t be fond of.

But you never know when you may need their help. Maintain your composure and build an honest and respectable reputation.

8. Experiment with New Sounds

Fans love nothing more than a band that comes out with new material. They also love nothing more than hearing their favorite bands come up with new sounds.

Your source of discouragement may even just be the inspiration you need to write a top-selling album. Consider how Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters came to write The Wall, one of the greatest albums of all time!

10. Play Because of the Music

There’s no telling where your music career will take you. There’s also no limit to the success you can make for yourself.

But success has different meanings for everybody. You may want to be the next big star that makes it on the cover of Rolling Stone. Or you may be happy to play gigs around your local region.

In any case, the most important thing you can do as a musician is play for the music and its art.

You don’t just want a career in music for the fame or money. You got into music once upon a time because of a passion for it. Never lose that.

Launch Your Music Career on the Right Note

The music will be the soul of your career. But there’s more to becoming a successful musician than making music that people love.

For more tips and information on how to market your music and becoming known, visit our business blog.

We have information on marketing, website design, and so much more to help you launch your career.